A container can be sealed with a peelable lid to keep the container sealed until a user is ready to break the seal. To break the seal, the user can pull back on the peelable lid to break the seal and remove the peelable lid. Peelable lids can be used on flexible containers, such as pouch-type or bag-type containers. Flexible containers can be used to contain items, such as electrode pads of automated external defibrillators (AEDs). In this case, a container with a peelable lid can store an electrode pad of an AED. When a user wants to use the electrode pad, the user can pull the peelable lid to break the seal with the container and remove the peelable lid to gain access to the electrode. pad. Peelable lids can include features that can assist the user to peel off the lid. For example, a peelable lid can have a pull tab that protrudes out from an edge of the lid. The pull tab can allow a user to more easily grasp the lid and peel the lid back from the location of the pull tab. A peelable lid can also have multiple pull tabs that protrude out from different points along the edge of the lid. The pull tabs can allow a user to more easily grasp the lid at different locations and peel the lid back from one of the pull tab locations at a time. Pull tabs can also be located at other locations, such as on top of the lid. A user can poll a pull tab on the top of a lid upward to remove the lid from the container.
The following summary is provided to introduce a selection of concepts in a simplified form that are further described below in the Detailed Description. This summary is not intended to identify key features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to be used as an aid in determining the scope of the claimed subject matter.
In at least one embodiment, a peelable lid system can include a container, a peelable lid, and a seal between the container and the peelable lid. The peelable lid system can also include a handle coupled to the peelable lid and a lifting mechanism. The lifting mechanism can be coupled to the handle and coupled to the peelable lid at a plurality of attachment points.
One of the plurality of attachment points can be coupled to the peelable lid away from the handle. The lifting mechanism can be configured to lift at least one portion of the peelable lid near each of the plurality of attachment points.
In one example, the plurality of attachment points can include a first attachment point coupled to a first corner of the peelable lid and a second attachment point coupled to a second corner of the peelable lid. The handle can be coupled to a side of the peelable lid between the first corner and the second corner of the peelable lid The lifting mechanism can be configured such that, when the pull force is applied to the handle, the first attachment point and the second attachment point are biased away from the container to curl the side of the peelable lid between the first corner and the second corner.
In another example, the at least one of the plurality of attachment points of the lifting mechanism is coupled to the peelable lid near a corner of the peelable lid. The seal can include a corner near the corner of the peelable lid, where the at least one portion of the peelable lid is lifted by the at least one of the plurality of attachment points at the corner of the peelable lid, and where the corner of the seal is broken when the corner of the peelable lid is lifted by the at least one of the plurality of attachment points. The seal can include a rounded corner near the corner of the peelable lid, where the at least one portion of the peelable lid is lifted by the at least one of the plurality of attachment points at the corner of the peelable hid, and where the rounded corner of the seal is broken when the corner of the peelable lid is lifted by the at least one of the plurality of attachment points.
In another example, the peelable lid bas a round edge and the seal is round. The handle can be coupled to a first location of the round edge, where the at least one of the plurality of attachment points is coupled to a second location of the round edge, and where a portion of the lifting mechanism between the handle and the at least one of the plurality of attachment points is located along the round edge between the first location and the second location. In other examples, the seal can include one or more of an adhesive, glue, epoxy, a mechanical bond, or a polymer bond, and the container can include one or more of a rigid container or a compliant container. The lifting mechanism can also be configured such that the pull force is transferred to the seal in at least two different locations.
In another embodiment, a peelable lid can include a lid configured to cover an opening of a container, a handle coupled to the seal, and a lifting mechanism coupled to the handle. The lifting mechanism can include at least one attachment point coupled to the peelable lid away from the handle. In response to a pull force being applied to the handle when the lid is sealed to the container, the lifting mechanism is configured to lift at least one portion of the lid near the at least. one attachment point.
In one example, the lifting mechanism comprises a compliant mechanism. The compliant mechanism can be integrally formed with the handle. In another example, the lifting mechanism comprises a plurality of links coupled via at least one pivot joint. The plurality of links can include a first link coupled to the handle and a second link comprising the at least one attachment point. The first link and the second link can be coupled via a first pivot joint. The plurality of links can also include a third link coupled to the first link via a second pivot joint.
In another example, the lifting mechanism can be configured such that the pull force can be transferred to the seal at a first location in a first direction that is different from a second direction of the pull force transferred to the seal at a second location. The first direction can be substantially perpendicular to a side of the lid, and the second direction can be not substantially perpendicular to the side of the lid. In another example, the lid can include one or more layers that can include at least one of a paper layer, a wax layer, a metallic foil, or a polymer film.
Removing peelable container lids by pulling on a pull tab can pose a number of problems. In one example, as a user pulls a pull tab of a peelable container lid, the pull force can cause the lid to tear near the pull tab. Such a tear can result in the pull tab being removed from the rest of the lid or otherwise rendered inoperable while a portion of the lid remains attached to the container. The user can remove the remaining portion of the lid; however, this extra step can add to the time and complexity required to remove the entire lid from the container. Tearing can be particularly problematic where a strong adhesive is used to seal the lid to the container. A strong adhesive can require greater pull force to peel back the lid, increasing the possibility that the pull force will exceed the tensile strength of the pull tab material and/or lid material before the lid is properly peeled back from the container.
In another example, pull tabs on peelable container lids are typically designed to be pulled in a specific direction to properly peel the lid off the container. A pull tab on a round lid can be designed to be pulled toward the center of the lid. Similarly, a pull tab on a corner of a rectangular lid can be designed to be polled diagonally across the lid. Because the pull tab is designed to be pulled in one direction, the container may need to be reoriented for a user to be able to properly pull the pull tab. However, there are times when the container cannot be easily reoriented or when pulling a particular direction is not convenient for the user. For example, it may be desirable to allow a user to pull from a side of a rectangular lid, but the strength of the adhesive between the lid and the container is typically too great for a pull tab to be pulled perpendicular to the side.
To address some of the problems with traditional peelable lids, a peelable lid handle can be provided that transmits pull force on the handle to pull force at two or more different locations along the lid.
The container 104 can be a rigid container, such as a hard plastic container, a metal container, and the like. The container 104 can also be a compliant container, such as a paper or plastic packet, a flexible plastic, and the like. The seal 106 can be made using an adhesive, such as glue, epoxy, or any other type of adhesive. The seal 106 can also be a physical bond, such as a polymer bond that has been created by melting a polymer onto the container.
In one example, the peelable lid 102 can have a metallic foil layer and a polymer layer. To create the seal, the metallic foil layer can be heated which causes the polymer layer to also heat up. Some of the polymer from the heated polymer layer can flow from the lid 102 onto the container 104. When the polymer layer cools, the polymer from the polymer layer forms a bond between the lid 102 and the container 104.
A handle 108 can be coupled to the lid 102. The handle 108 can be made of any type of material, including rigid materials and/or compliant materials. In the embodiment shown in
The handle 108 can be coupled to a lifting mechanism 112. In some embodiments, the lifting mechanism 112 can be an integrally-formed part of the handle 108. In other embodiments, the lifting mechanism 112 can be a separate part that is coupled to the handle 108. In the embodiment shown in
The handle 108 can have a color that is different from a color of the lid 102 and/or the container 104. For example, a handle 108 that is brighter in color than the lid 102 and/or the container 104 (e.g., an orange or yellow handle 108 with a gray or white lid 102) can provide a user with a visual cue that the lid 102 can be opened by pulling on the handle 108. Such a visual cue can help in speeding the process of a user to identify the handle 108 and in reducing the likelihood of user error in peeling back the lid 102.
The handle 108 can be coupled to the lid 102 in one location. The lifting mechanism 112 can be coupled to the lid 102 in at least one other location. The lifting mechanism can be coupled to the lid 102 using any type of fastener or fastening material, such as a rivet, a snap, or an adhesive. In the embodiment depicted in
As shown in
The combination of the lifting mechanism 112 and the handle 108 allows for the handle 108 to be pulled in a direction that the lid 102 could not easily be peeled without the aid of the lifting mechanism 112. For example, if the embodiment depicted in
In practice, the pull force at the second location 120 and the pull force at the third location 122 can cause the lid 102 to begin peeling at the second location 120 and the third location 122 before the lid 102 begins to peel from the first location 114. If the lid 102 begins to peel from the second location 120 and the third location 122 before peeling at the first location 114, the force that would be required to begin peeing the lid from the first location 114 can be lower than the force required to begin peeling the lid 102 at the first location 114 without the aid of the lifting mechanism 114.
Having the option to pull the lid 102 in one direction (e.g., substantially perpendicular to the lid 102) while causing the lid 102 to peel in a different direction (e.g., in diagonal directions 124 and 126) can reduce the need for a user to reorient the container 104 to peel the lid 102 off of the container 104. For example, it may be difficult or inconvenient for a user to pull from a corner of the lid 102. Being able to remove the lid 102 by pulling the handle 108 from the side of the lid 102 can prevent a user from having to reorient the container 104 to be able to pull from a corner of the lid 102. Moreover, being able to cause pull force at multiple locations along the seal 106 with one action of pulling the handle 108 can add to the speed with which the lid 102 is removed from the container 104. The speed with which a hid 102 is removed from the container 104 can be important in certain instances, such as in the case of removing a peelable lid that covers an electrode tray of an automated external defibrillator (AED), as is described in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/457,942, filed Aug. 12, 2014, the contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety.
In the particular situation with an AED, users typically use an AED in emergency situations, such as when a patient is undergoing a cardiac arrhythmia. In such cases, reducing the time of administering AED treatment increases the probability that the patient will survive and the probability that the patient will not experience significant injury. Users are typically experiencing some level of stress and urgency in these situations. Thus, the ability to remove peelable lids from AED components (e.g., electrode trays, electrode pads, etc.) easily, efficiently, and completely provides a significant advantage in AED treatment. Moreover, it can be advantageous to use seals with certain AED components. Self-adhesive AED electrode pads typically include a gel that functions to adhere the electrode pads to the user's chest and to establish an electrical connection between the electrodes on the electrode pads and the user's chest. The gel on AED electrode pads can dry out over time, rendering the AED electrode pads ineffective or completely unusable. To reduce the speed of gel drying out on AED electrode pads, the electrode and gel side of many AED electrode pads are sealed before they are used. AEDs can include an electrode tray that houses the AED electrode pads, and the entire electrode tray can be sealed to further reduce the speed of gel drying out on AED electrode pads: Peelable lids can come in any number of other arrangements or forms.
It can be easier to break a seal between a lid and a container at a location where the seal comes to a corner than at other locations, such as at a straight portion (e.g., the first location 218 on seal 204 in
In the embodiment shown in
Another embodiment of a peelable lid system is depicted in
As depicted in
As mentioned above, peelable lids can be used to cover electrode trays of AEDs.
With the cover 710 is in the opened position, as shown in
It should be noted that for purposes of this disclosure, terminology such as “upper” and “lower,” should be construed as descriptive and not limiting the scope of the claimed subject matter. Further, the use of “including,” “comprising,” or “having” and variations thereof herein is meant to encompass the items listed thereafter and equivalents thereof as well as additional items. Unless limited otherwise, the terms “connected” and “coupled,” and variations thereof herein are used broadly and encompass direct and indirect connections and couplings.
The principles, representative embodiments, and modes of operation of the present disclosure have been described in the foregoing description. However, aspects of the present disclosure which are intended to be protected are not to be construed as limited to the particular embodiments disclosed. Further, the embodiments described herein are to be regarded as illustrative rather than restrictive. It will be appreciated that variations and changes may be made by others, and equivalents employed, without departing from the spirit of the present disclosure. Accordingly, it is expressly intended that all such variations, changes, and equivalents fall within the spirit and scope of the present disclosure, as claimed.
This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/396,048, filed Dec. 30, 2016, which will issue as U.S. Pat. No. 10,252,046, on Apr. 9, 2019, which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/046,778, filed on Feb. 18, 2016, now U.S. Pat. No. 9,533,139, which is a divisional of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/458,090, filed on Aug. 12, 2014, now U.S. Pat. No. 9,289,590, which claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/865,089, filed Aug. 12, 2013. Each of those applications is incorporated in this patent application by reference.
Number | Date | Country | |
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61865089 | Aug 2013 | US |
Number | Date | Country | |
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Parent | 14458090 | Aug 2014 | US |
Child | 15046778 | US |
Number | Date | Country | |
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Parent | 16371324 | Apr 2019 | US |
Child | 18315399 | US | |
Parent | 15396048 | Dec 2016 | US |
Child | 16371324 | US | |
Parent | 15046778 | Feb 2016 | US |
Child | 15396048 | US |